>>guest: why would the president spent yesterday in michigan railing against something that the michigan legislature is going to do when we are facing a few days before going over the cliff? i don't get it. unless the president things he will gain in the short temperature -- term politically by going over the cliff but long term historians put the blame on the president of the up. it may look like a gain short term, but in the long run, is that really helpful to the president's reputation in 20 or 30 years they could not get a deal and push the country into another recession or a short-term recession? >> harry reid, the majority leader, would say very unlikely we would have a deal by christmas, ostensibly we are running out of days on the calendar. if that is the case and he quibbles that the republicans have not come up with specifics, are you against running to the clinton rates or are you okay where that if it avoids the hoops of looking for like revenue? >>guest: i am in favor of anything that gets an agreement. it seems to me, why are we focusing on that narrow part of this entire s